Scientific Name
Nerium oleander
Common Name
Oleander

HIGHLY TOXIC, MAY BE FATAL IF EATEN!

Characteristics

Family
Apocynaceae
Plant Description
Evergreen shrub or small tree with thick, gummy, clear sap; leaves opposite or whorled, simple, leathery, with smooth margins and conspicuous pinnate veins; flowers clustered at tip of twigs, 5-parted, funnel-shaped, white, pink, red, or yellow.
Origin
Eurasia.
Where Found
Landscape cultivated as ornamental woody shrub and occasionally escaped.
Mode
Ingestion.
Poisonous Part
All parts, green or dry.
Symptoms
Nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, dizziness, slowed pulse, irregular heartbeat, dilation of pupils, bloody diarrhea, drowsiness; may be fatal.
Toxic Principle
Cardiac glycosides: nerioside and oleandroside; saponins, and unknowns.
Severity
HIGHLY TOXIC, MAY BE FATAL IF EATEN!

"Poisonous Plants of North Carolina," Dr. Alice B. Russell, Department of Horticultural Science; Dr. James W. Hardin, Botany; Dr. Larry Grand, Plant Pathology; and Dr. Angela Fraser, Family and Consumer Sciences; North Carolina State University. All Pictures Copyright @1997Alice B. Russell, James W. Hardin, Larry Grand. Computer programming, Miguel A. Buendia; graphics, Brad Capel.

Disclaimer: The list of poisonous plants on this web site does not necessarily include every poisonous plant that is known, or that might be found in an urban landscape or home. North Carolina State University does not advise eating any of the plants included in this web site. The information concerning edibility is taken from the literature, and the degree of reliability is unknown. We discourage the use of any of these plants for self medication. In cases of accidental exposure or ingestion, contact the Poison Control Center 1-800-222-1222.

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